AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

2001-2002 SUMMER ASSIGNMENT

Objectives: The purpose of the AP Human Geography summer assignment is to encourage students to …

  1. Consider the importance of geography to human activities and development

  2. Develop an expertise in one country and its surrounding region

Assignment:

  1. AP Human Geography Notebook

    2.

    Your first task is to select a decent-sized (2" +) three-ring binder notebook that you will use to keep yourself (and Mr. L) organized throughout the year. You will also need a number of dividers with those little label thingies (about 10).

     

  2. Country Portfolio

The first section in your notebook should be designated "[Country Name] Portfolio." Throughout the course of the year you will be our resident EXPERT on this nation and its region of the world.

 

A) OK – this part is easy. The first item in your Country Portfolio should be the CIA World Factbook’s Country Profile for your assigned country. The printout will be about 9-10 pages long, but will allow you to quickly access the important data for your country during the year. The Factbook is online at http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html – look under "Country Listing."

B) This part’s a little tougher. Over the summer, you will be expected to locate and read at least ten news articles pertaining to your country that demonstrate the IMPORTANCE OF GEOGRAPHY to your country’s development and situation – in other words, they should somehow reflect the impact of the country’s location on the face of the Earth. The number of potential topics is virtually limitless, but might include agriculture, natural resources, economic development, relations & disputes with neighboring countries, cultural heritage, migration and refugees, natural disasters, population issues, or civil conflict between different ethnic groups. Remember that these are just suggested topics.

 

For each of these articles you should write a paragraph (50-100 words) summarizing the content and explaining how it illustrates the importance of geography.

 

Good Sources of International News on the WWW:

 

     Washington Post World News: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/world

     New York Times International News: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/

     International Herald Tribune: http://www.iht.com

     CNN.com WORLD: http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/

     BBC World News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/

 

You should place a copy of each article with the proper citation information (publication, date, pages, etc.) along with the brief summary in your Country Portfolio in chronological order.

 

Your notebook will be due on the first day of school, September 4, 2001.

 

Please feel free to contact me with any questions and concerns you might have, and have a safe, fun-filled last high school summer!

 

Peace Out,

Mr. L

letellier@ns.gemlink.com

(540) 894-5610

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